Yancana Huasy
Lima, Peru
In 1981, a small group of Peruvians with motor disabilities sought help from Fr. Daniel Panchot, a Holy Cross priest working in Lima. With a call to serve as an ‘educator of the faith in mind and heart with a preference for people who are poor,’ Fr. Daniel established Yancana Huasy. Now directed by Jose Antonio Patron Quispe, Yancana Huasy is one of Peru’s leading NGOs, working to integrate children and families with special needs into public schools, faith communities and neighborhoods. They are primary advocates in ensuring the disabled have access to public transportation and facilities and focus on training parents of children with disabilities to meet the physical and emotional needs of their child. Yancana Huasy’s staff—many who have worked there for more than 20 years—help parents understand that ‘it takes a special parent to care for a child with special needs.’
